Production of Micellar Structures From Medicinal Mushrooms

Abstract

Fungal micellar membranes, which consist of cellulose, chitin, and proteins, are one of the important and largest groups of microorganisms. Micellar structures are promising biological materials with great advantages, because they can be adapted very well to different cultivation parameters, are biodegradable and their production is relatively inexpensive. Their fibrous structure makes them very promising for biotechnological and cosmetic applications, but also for various industries such as packaging and construction. The therapeutic mushrooms Ganoderma lucidum and Pleurotus ostreatus were used for the production of micellar membranes. In addition, the morphological, chemical, and hydrodynamic properties were also investigated. Micellar membranes were successfully obtained from both therapeutic mushrooms. By optimizing the growth parameters, it was possible to achieve the highest yield and the highest water absorption capacity of the micellar membranes with advantageous characteristics.